Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards Changes

<RULE> POSTAL SERVICE <CFR>39 CFR Part 111</CFR> <SUBJECT>Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards Changes</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Postal Service. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Postal Service is amending <E T="03">Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,</E> Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to reflect changes to certain prices and mailing standards for competitive products. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> <E T="03">Effective date:</E> July 13, 2025. </EFFDATE> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Steven Jarboe at (202) 268-7690, Catherine Knox (202) 268-5636, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> This final rule describes new prices and product features for competitive products, by class of mail, established by the Governors of the United States Postal Service. New prices are available under Docket Number CP2025-7 on the Postal Regulatory Commission PRC website at <E T="03">https://www.prc.gov,</E> and on the Postal Explorer website at <E T="03">https://pe.usps.com.</E> The Postal Service is revising <E T="03">Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,</E> Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) to reflect changes to certain prices and mailing standards for the following competitive products: • Priority Mail Express. • Priority Mail. • USPS Ground Advantage. • Parcel Select. • Extra Services. • Return Services. • Mailer Services. • Recipient Services. • Other. Competitive product prices and changes are identified by product as follows: <HD SOURCE="HD1">Priority Mail Express</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Prices</HD> Priority Mail Express prices will remain the same. Priority Mail Express will continue to offer zoned and Flat Rate, Retail and Commercial pricing. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Priority Mail</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Prices</HD> Overall, Priority Mail prices will increase 6.3 percent. Priority Mail will continue to offer zoned and Flat Rate, Retail and Commercial pricing. Retail prices will increase an average of 7.3 percent. The Flat Rate Envelope will increase to $11.00; the Legal Flat Rate Envelope will increase to $11.20; and the Padded Flat Rate Envelope will increase to $11.95. The Small Flat Rate Box price will increase to $11.70, and the Medium Flat Rate Boxes will increase to $21.05. The Large Flat Rate Box will increase to $29.95 and the APO/FPO/DPO Large Flat Rate Box will increase to $28.70. Commercial prices will increase an average of 5.1 percent. <HD SOURCE="HD1">USPS Ground Advantage</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Prices</HD> Overall, USPS Ground Advantage prices will increase 7.1 percent. USPS Ground Advantage—Retail prices will increase 9.8 percent. USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial prices will increase 4.7 percent. <HD SOURCE="HD2">USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial Sealed Against Inspection</HD> The Postal Service is revising the basic eligibility standards for USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial, to be sealed against inspection. Additionally, except for restricted material as described in DMM section 601.8.0, USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial will now be eligible for any mailable item ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> PII). These revisions will provide consistency with the basic eligibility standards for the USPS Ground Advantage—Retail and USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial products. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Parcel Select</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Prices</HD> The prices for Parcel Select Destination Entry will increase an average of 7.6 percent. The prices for USPS Connect Local will increase 5.7 percent. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Discontinue Parcel Select Destination Network Distribution Center Entry Level</HD> The Postal Service is discontinuing the Destination Network Distribution Center (DNDC) destination entry level for Parcel Select Destination Entry mailings. Parcel Select Destination Entry mailings must be sorted to a 5-digit scheme, 5-digit, SCF, or 3-digit (nonstandard only) for entry at the applicable DSCF/DRPDC, DHub, or DDU and DS&DC. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Extra Services</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Adult Signature Service</HD> Adult Signature Required and Adult Signature Restricted Delivery service prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Return Services</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">USPS Returns Service</HD> There are no structural changes to USPS Returns service. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Mailer Services</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Pickup on Demand Service</HD> The Pickup on Demand service fee will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">USPS Tracking Plus Service</HD> The USPS Tracking Plus service prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">USPS Label Delivery Service</HD> The USPS Label Delivery Service prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Recipient Services</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Post Office Box Service</HD> The competitive Post Office Box service prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Premium Forwarding Service</HD> Premium Forwarding Service (PFS) prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">USPS Package Intercept</HD> The USPS Package Intercept fee will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Other</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">Address Enhancement Service</HD> Address Enhancement Service competitive product prices will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Package Quality Noncompliance Fee</HD> The Package Quality Noncompliance Fee will remain the same. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute</HD> The Postal Service is revising DMM section 705.18.0, <E T="03">Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute,</E> to limit the use of sacks and eliminate hazardous materials. Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute sacks will be limited to a 5-digit sortation for parcels only. The 5-digit open and distribute sacks may continue to be entered at all destination entry levels ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> SCF/RPDC, DDU and S&DC). Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute and Priority Mail Open and Distribute is also being revised to eliminate hazardous material from being included in mail enclosed in a Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail, Open-and-Distribute container. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Nonstandard Fees</HD> The Postal Service is revising the Nonstandard Fee structure to add a new component “Characteristics.” The new component will consist of parcels with characteristics that are considered to be nonstandard by the Postal Service ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> cylindrical tubes and rolls, wood or metal boxes). The Postal Service is also revising the Nonstandard Fee assessment criteria. A parcel that is nonstandard by both, length (more than 22 inches or more than 30 inches) and by characteristics will only be subject to the highest fee. A parcel that is nonstandard by either length or characteristics, and by cube (more than 2 cubic feet) will continue to be subject to both the length or characteristics fee and the cube fee. In addition, the Postal Service is requiring mailers with Shipping Services file manifests or other approved electronic documentation to include, when applicable, the extra service code (ESC) for the characteristics fee along with the current standard to include accurate dimensions (length, width, height) of all parcels that measure more than 22 inches in length or 18 inches in width or 15 inches in height. Mailers that do not meet the requirement to include the parcel's accurate dimensions and/or characteristics ESC will be assessed the Dimension Noncompliance fee. Nonstandard Fees will continue to be applied to retail and commercial Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select Destination Entry and USPS Connect Local. However, in addition to the current Nonstandard Fee product exceptions, parcels mailed at the USPS Ground Advantage “Oversized”, Parcel Select Destination Entry “Oversized”, and USPS Connect Local “Oversized”, prices will not be subject to a Nonstandard Fee. <HD SOURCE="HD2">Resources</HD> The Postal Service provides additional resources to assist customers with this price change for competitive products. These tools include price lists, downloadable price files, and <E T="04">Federal Register</E> Notices, which may be found on the Postal Explorer website at <E T="03">https://pe.usps.com.</E> The Postal Service adopts the described changes to <E T="03">Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,</E> Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by reference in the <E T="03">Code of Federal Regulations.</E> We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect these changes. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111</HD> Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service. </LSTSUB> Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is amended as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 111—[AMENDED]</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="39" PART="111"> 1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority: </HD> 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401-404, 414, 416, 3001-3018, 3201-3220, 3401-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3629, 3631-3633, 3641, 3681-3685, and 5001. </REGTEXT> <REGTEXT TITLE="39" PART="111"> 2. Revise the <E T="03">Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,</E> Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as follows: <HD SOURCE="HD1">Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)</HD> <STARS/> <HD SOURCE="HD1">100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels</HD> <STARS/> <HD SOURCE="HD1">110 Retail Mail Priority Mail Express</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">113 Prices and Eligibility</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">1.0 Prices and F ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 40k characters. 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